John Paul Jones names Led Zeppelin’s greatest “showpiece” song
When assessing Led Zeppelin‘s lauded rock legacy, it’s easy to instantly conjure in one’s head singer Robert Plant’s powerhouse charisma and the virtuoso guitar attack of Jimmy Page, and for good reason. Plant established an unsurpassed template for the frontman that all future stage strutters would bow down to, and Page’s unique blend of folk, blues, and hard-rock forged unique frontiers of mystical terrain yet unheard in the world of 1970s arena rock.
Then there was John Bonham’s heavy-handed drumming, a colossal force in the band whose opening two-bar break on ‘When the Levee Breaks’ gifted hip-hop with one of its key beats, sampled by everyone from Beastie Boys, Dr Dre, Eminem, and Ice-T.
Where would Led Zeppelin’s groove be without bassist John Paul Jones, however? One listen to 1969’s ‘Dazed and Confused’s ominous skulk is pure Jones and beats Black Sabbath’s eponymous track for heavy metal’s birth, right through to 1976’s ‘Achilles Last Stand’ showcasing Jones’ knack for aggressive chemistry on the retrospectively reappraised Presence.
Preferring to keep his debauchery away from the spotlight, Jones eschewed the hedonistic reputation afforded to Page and Plant, which contributed to his frequent overlook when assessing the band’s immediate creative forces, an opinion reinforced by French Atlantic Records figure Benoit Gautier in a 1999 Westword interview: “The wisest guy in Led Zeppelin was John Paul Jones. Why? He never got caught in an embarrassing situation.”
Jones started his career as a serious session musician and arranger for hundreds of recordings, including The Rolling Stones, The Walker Brothers, Tom Jones, and Nico. His post-Zeppelin solo ventures, however, reveal an eclectic taste and keen interest in the contemporary, collaborating with Diamanda Galás on 1994’s The Sporting Life, joining Josh Homme and Dave Grohl for Them Crooked Vultures side-project, and producing Butthole Surfers’ 1993 LP Independent Worm Saloon. With such distinguished and intriguing credentials to his name, it’s interesting to consider the Led Zeppelin cuts Jones highlights as exemplary of the band.
Speaking to Swedish TV in 2003, Jones picked out one Zepellin pick for its ambitious scope: “‘Kashmir’ was a great showpiece as a number…it was just very theatrical and the grand gesture.” An eight-minute odyssey from 1975’s double LP Physical Graffiti, its exotic grandiosity was lyrically inspired by Plant’s drive through a Moroccan desert, and had been in gestation for over three years until its final recording in 1974.
While everyone remembers Bonham’s monster beat and the track’s dramatic string section, Jones’ subtle Mellotron is ‘Kashmir’s secret weapon, imbuing the cut with an otherworldy aura illustrating the piece’s alluring beckon.
Becoming a staple track of theirs and played at almost every Led Zeppelin Show since, author Dave Lewis heaped praise on the band’s monster cut: “Unquestionably the most startling and impressive track on Physical Graffiti, and arguably the most progressive and original track that Led Zeppelin ever recorded. ‘Kashmir’ went a long way towards establishing their credibility with otherwise sceptical rock critics. Many would regard this track as the finest example of the sheer majesty of Zeppelin’s special chemistry.”
